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There are numerous types of weirs that have one or more of the functions
listed above
Types of Weirs
Rectangular
Sharp-Crested Triangular
Main Types of
Trapezoidal
Weirs
Broad-Crested Rectangular
Sharp- vs. Broad-Crested Weirs
SHARP-CRESTED WEIR BROAD-CRESTED WEIR
Critical depth (yc) occurs off the crest of the Critical depth (yc) occurs at the crest of the
weir weir
Usually used to: Usually used to:
1. Measure the discharge of smaller rivers 1. Measure the discharge of larger rivers and
and canals canals
2. Change water elevation of smaller rivers 2. Change water elevation of larger rivers
and canals and canals
Sharp-Crested Weirs
Sharp-Crested Weir
Background
There are three main types of sharp-crested weirs:
1. RectangularMeasure Discharge and Change Water Elevations
Regardless of the type, sharp-crested weirs are usually used for smaller
rivers and canals
Sharp-Crested Weir
Visual
Sharp crested weirs differ from broad
crested weirs due to the detached water
surface falling away from the downstream
edge of the structure, known as a free-falling
nappe
When the plate thickness exceeds 1/8th inch, the downstream edge of the crest should be beveled
to allow the nappe to detach from the weir
When the width of the weir crest is equal to the width of the channel (suppressed shape), the air
pocket under the nappe may become entrained and collapse, causing inaccurate flow calculations
Sharp-Crested Weir
Placement
Whenever possible:
Sharp-crested weirs should be placed at the end of a long pool free of vegetation, and head(H)
should be measured upstream at a distance at least 4-5 times the head to avoid drawdown errors
Flow upstream of the weir should be sub-critical, with an approach velocity of less than 0.5 ft/s to
achieve the greatest accuracy
The weir should have a span perpendicular to the flow of the channel
The face of the weir should be vertical, leaning neither up or downstream
The depth of water flowing over the weir should not be less than 2
Rip-rap should be placed downstream of the weir to dissipate energy and prevent scouring in the
channel
Sharp-Crested Weir
Rectangular/Suppressed
Used to control water up- and downstream of weir
Where:
Q (m/s) is the volumetric flow rate over the weir
is the discharge coefficient usually ranging from 0.60 to 0.62
H (m) is the head over the weir(from the weir crest to the upstream water surface)
P (m) is the height of the weir plate
B (m) is the width of the contracted notch (rectangular), or the width of the channel
(suppressed)
g is the acceleration of gravity (9.81 m/s)
Sharp-Crested Weir
V-Notch (Triangular)
Used in cases of small discharge
Best for measuring discharge in small to Head loss is across the weir
medium channels Low sediment flow downstream
Higher water levels upstream
Broad-Crested Weir
Discharge
Flow over a broad-crested weir is highly dependent on
the weirs geometry
Simply discharge can be calculated as follows:
Where:
Q = Volumetric flow rate
C = Constant for the specific weir structure
L = Width of the weir
H = Height of water head upstream in relation to
the weirs crest
n = structure variant (usually 3/2 for a horizontal
weir)
The equation above can also be used for sharp-crested
weirs if the design constants are known
Conclusion
Weirs are highly useful hydraulic tools that allow
engineers to control water height, velocity, and
most importantly they can be used to calculate
discharge